The motherboard's RAM port might not be functioning correctly.
The motherboard's RAM port might not be functioning correctly.
TLDR: I have 4 sticks of RAM, but one RAM slot consistently doesn't acknowledge sticks A while ago my PC crashed hard, not even a BSOD. Everything just froze up. Yesterday I noticed Windows reports having 12GB RAM installed, while my PC is supposed to have 4x4 GB DDR4 sticks. They've worked fine for 9 years already. According to the BIOS of the mobo (Gigabyte X79-UP4), 4 sticks are installed, but memory channel A shows up empty (no CAS timings, frequencies,etc.). I think this could mean either the mobo is defective, or the RAM stick in the slot corresponding to channel A. Here's what I did: Swapped sticks in channel A and B -> the 4 sticks are still recognized, but channel A still shows up empty; BIOS reports 12GB RAM removed the stick that was in channel B (the one originally from channel A, and presumably the faulty one) -> the 4 sticks are still recognized, channel A still shows up empty (has RAM stick in it), channel B shows up empty (no stick in it); BIOS reports 8GB RAM Bear in mind, in the second case, the RAM configuration with slots for channels A, C, and D is supported according to the mobo's manual (though there's a warning for a performance penalty). I'd conclude that the mobo is somehow faulting. Is there anything else I could try to determine whether the cause might be in the RAM? (some wishful thinking on my side) The CPU, if it's relevant, is i7-4820K.
Hello blattodephobia, there might be an issue with the motherboard or the RAM stick. To figure out the cause, you could try a few steps. Start by reinserting the RAM sticks, opening your PC case and carefully putting each one back in place. This often resolves connection problems. If that doesn’t help, test using just one RAM stick at a time in each slot to see which one works. If one stick fails in all slots, it’s probably faulty and needs replacement. If another stick works in some slots but not others, the issue likely lies with the motherboard. Also, verify your BIOS settings to ensure the board correctly recognizes all installed RAM. Sometimes the BIOS is set to use less memory than present, which could explain why Windows shows only 12GB even though you have larger sticks. If none of these solutions work, the motherboard may be defective and should be replaced. Always refer to the manual and warranty details for guidance.